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I-5 Whilamut Passage Bridge Opens

The I-5 Whilamut Passage Bridge over the Willamette River was recently completed, and will reduce congestion and improve freight movement through the critical corridor.

The new northbound bridge will open to traffic in mid-August, nearly four months ahead of schedule. The cost of both the northbound and southbound bridges is $204 million and includes $30.3 million in federal funds.

The northbound bridge will join the southbound bridge, which opened in 2011 and supports 60,000 vehicles in the Eugene-Springfield area traveling on I-5 each day, of which almost 20% are trucks. The number of vehicles using I-5 in the area each day is predicted to surpass 100,000 by 2040.

The new bridge is flanked by Alton Baker Park and the Whilamut Natural Area, and the project features landscaping and park improvements scheduled to be completed by December 2013. Enhanced bike and pedestrian amenities are slated for completion in 2014.

The two bridges are 67 feet wide, and will carry two lanes of traffic in each direction. There is ample width to re-stripe the bridge for three lanes in each direction if and when traffic volumes warrent. The deck-arch bridges are 1,984.8 feet long and stand 63 feet above the water.